Navigating C++ and Object-Oriented Design

10.3. Template Class Instantiation

Template class definitions are blueprints for instantiations of different class types. The compiler “fills in” each TYPE from a template class definition with a type you use in a template object declaration. This form of instantiation is similar to how function calls instantiate from template function definitions. Instantiations make the compiler generate separate class definitions every time you create an object with a different type.

You may want to place a template class interface definition in a header file and the rest of its implementation in a separate .C file for linking. To instantiate properly, use ...